Navigating College as Latina STEM Students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to develop a deeper understanding of the different critical components that influence Latina students' persistence in pursuing undergraduate STEM degrees at HSIs. As a qualitative case study, 10 open-ended individual interviews were conducted with Latina undergraduate college students pursuing STEM disciplines. The findings revealed that participants used strategies to help them surpass obstacles related to academic difficulties, such as finding allies in their classes and informal faculty mentors to be guided and advised. Furthermore, the involvement of family was evident to vent problems and release stress as well as the development of strong bonds with participants' fathers with STEM backgrounds. It was evident that participants developed and adopted resiliency attitudes while pursuing STEM, which highlights their cultural legacy highly influencing their persistence and academic success.